Nick Valensi

Released by Epiphone as a signature model based on Nick's 1995 Epiphone Riviera in the early 2000s, the Nick Valensi Signature Riviera was featured in Antique Natural finish and Vintage Sunburst finish, with the characteristic P-94 he uses in two available versions: standard and Elitist model.

Nick regularly used this signature model instead of his original 1995 Riviera in the First Impressions of Earth tour (mid-2000s). After this tour, he has not used it anymore, and he keeps all the signature models he had at home, according to an interview with scenecoco:

"(...) I just use my original one. The signature guitars were kind of based off my original one and I have a couple of those signature ones just in cases and stuff, but I only use my OG one."

In a reddit AMA, Nick Valensi is asked:

"I saw your tele custom in person when you played with CRX at the taping. Very nice, did Fender make that custom for you? Any plans of a new signature model?"

He replies:

"i found the white tele at guitar center in sherman oaks, ca. i played it for a bit, and really liked it. but, man, it was very expensive. i don't like guitars that are too expensive. so i left it there and went home. and for the next 3 days, i obsessed over that white tele. it's all i could think about. so i just said fuck it and bought it. and it was worth every penny"

In an AMA he did on reddit, in answer to the question, "How come you decided to shelve the Jekyll and Hyde? As a followup, how are you making that gorgeous crunchy but smooth sound in your recent live performances with The Strokes?" Nick Valensi replied:

"the 1st gen jekkyl & hyde was my jam. i didn't like the ones that came after. lately i've been using the JHS color box and klon centaur for all overdrive sounds"

In an interview with The Strokes from Guitar Magazine (October 2001), Some of Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr's guitars, amps, and pedals are detailed. Their amp choice is revealed:

The pair may have different guitars but the rest of their setup is pretty much identical: Fender Hot Rod Deville 2×12"s for their ‘raunchiness’, an MXR Microamp as a tone/volume boost for solos, and a Jekyll and Hyde for distortion.

Full article can be found here.

As it can be seen in this pic, he's using the older red version that had the pentagonal shape of the original Jekyll & Hyde

This photo of Nick Valensi's pedalboard shows he uses the MXR M-133 Micro Amp Pedal (it can be seen in the bottom-left corner).

The epiphone casino was used by Nick Valensi in the video for the song "Threat of Joy" at exactly 0:51.

in a redit Q&A he said "the 1st gen jekkyl & hyde was my jam. i didn't like the ones that came after. lately i've been using the JHS color box and klon centaur for all overdrive sounds"

In this video before Lollapalooza, Nick can be seen using a pedalboard with a Synth 9 and mel 9.

In this photo, Nick Valensi can be seen playing a black Gibson Les Paul Custom.

A 2016 Reddit post features a photo of Nick Valensi's pedalboard, clearly showing the Klon KTR overdrive pedal in use.

It was spotted in 1:49 where there is a good angle to see it, he also played this Les Paul on the song "New York City Cops" and "Taken for a Fool"

The epiphone dot with two p94s was never used at a The Strokes gig, but it was Nick Valensi's "second guitar" at some gigs, where you can better see that this guitar is on the backstage of the gig "2 dollar Bill " of the year. 2002 at minute 2:51.

Nick Valensi pedalboard at Lollapalooza Chicago 2019 (live at his wife instagram account)

During CRX's 2016's U Street Performance, a snapshot of Valensi was taken. One of the pedals in his pedalboard is the EHX Mel9 Tape Replay machine.

Nick Valensi is seen at various stages in this video using an Epiphone Riviera in sunburst finish (his backup guitar to his main Riviera). You can tell it's a Riviera from the guitar's bridge which is different from that of an Epiphone Casino or Dot and matches his other guitar.

Nick Valensi can be seen using the Gibson Custom 1958 Les Paul Standard Reissue in this live performance of Under Cover of Darkness.

Gear used in the new abnormal album, you can see it at the pedal board in live performances in 2021. This pedal is very important to play The Adults Are Talking.

In this 2005 photo, Valensi is visible playing the white Fender Stratocaster.

Used on SNL 2020, as well as during their 2022 tour. He is seen using the JC-120 along with the Magnatone Stereo Twilighter.

Nick Valensi's Fulltone GT-500 can be seen in the bottom-right corner of his pedalboard in this photo.

In the middle of the bottom row of Nick Valensi's pedalboard, his Visual Sound V2 Series V2DT Double Trouble Dual Overdrive pedal can be seen.

In this video at Echo Park Rising, Nick Valensi can be seen playing a Rivolta Combinata in Autonna burst with a gold pickguard. Valensi was also featured on the Eastwood website as a player of the Rivolta Combinata.

In this photo, Nick Valensi can be seen with a Duesenberg Double Cat Electric Guitar.

In this live video you can clearly see Nick Valensi using a 12-string Epiphone Riviera at 26:22 while playing "Electricityscape" with the Strokes.

Bottom row, second from the left, Nick Valensi's Maxon DS830 Distortion Master pedal can be seen in this photo of his pedalboard.

This photo of Nick Valensi's pedalboard shows he uses the Korg Pitchblack Chromatic Pedal Tuner (upper-right corner).

The EHX Holy Grail Nano can be seen in this photo of Nick Valensi's pedalboard (top row, middle).

Nick is using what appears to be a 1963 Silvertone Twin-Twelve amp in the music video for Threat of Joy. The track is from the Future Present Past EP released in 2016. This is the first known instance of Nick using this amplifier. The amp can be seen at 0:52, 1:14 (best shot of it to the left of Fab's drum kit), 1:25, 3:59, 4:25.

The Demeter Tremulator can be heard in use on The Strokes' track "Juicebox."